Article I - Membership

Section 1. Method of Selection
a. Applications for Membership are available from the President, Secretary or the Theater Office located in Scales Fine Arts Center, Room 219.

b. The Executive Committee will accept applications for membership at the second meeting of each semester and at the meeting immediately following the close of each Mainstage production. Due dates for applications will be established by the Executive Committee.

c. In order to be eligible for membership, prospective applicants must have earned a total of 16 participation points. Points are awarded on the following scale:

1. Actors, Stage Managers, Designers, and Production Managers receive 10 points for a Mainstage Production or Anthony Aston Production, and 8 points for a Studio Series Production.

2. Assistant Stage Managers, Crew Chiefs, and Assistant Designers receive 6 points for a Mainstage or an Anthony Aston Production, and 4 points for a Studio Series Production.

3. Sound and Light Board Operators and Running Crew receive 4 points for a Mainstage Production or Anthony Aston Production, and 2 points for a Studio Series Production.

4. Enrollment in Acting I or Introduction to Design and Production receives 4 points.

a. Active Membership
To maintain active membership, each member shall be required to fulfill the following obligations each school year:
1. Be a student enrolled at the University and eligible for participation in extracurricular activities.

2. Pay dues as prescribed by the organization on or before the date designated by the Treasurer for the collection of those dues.

3. Attend all regularly scheduled meetings unless absences are excused by the President or Secretary. Two unexcused absences will be allowed per semester, unless otherwise stipulated by the President or Secretary. 

4. Fulfill the following service requirements:

a. Attend all University Mainstage, Ring, and Studio Series Productions.

b. Attend and work at one-half of all Mainstage work calls and strikes.

c. Attend and work at one-half of all Anthony Aston work calls and strikes.

d. Serve concessions at one Mainstage, Anthony Aston or Ring production per semester.

5. An Active Member in good standing who terminates his/her membership with the organization by unexcused absences or failure to participate shall automatically become an Associate Member.
Active Members shall:
1. Receive recognition (*) in programs of all productions at the University.

2. Vote on business of the Organization, including, but not limited to, the selection of Anthony Aston productions and membership.

3. Be eligible for Anthony Aston Awards.

4. Be eligible to serve as officers or directors of Anthony Aston Productions. 

b. Associate Membership
1. Associate Members may attend meetings, but shall have no voting privileges, nor shall they pay dues.

2. Associate Members are not eligible to direct Anthony Aston Productions.

3. Associate Membership shall be automatically conferred upon active members as they leave the University. As their discretion, students may choose associate rather than active membership.

4. In order to "re-activate" membership, associate members will be required to pay dues by the deadline set by the Treasurer and the Executive Committee and meet the service requirements outlined above in Article I, Section 2, paragraph a, subsections 2, 3, and 4 lines b., c., and d. Upon completion of these requirements, active membership will be reinstated automatically.

c. Honorary Membership
1. Honorary Membership may be conferred on members of the faculty and other persons who contribute to the success of the theater program.

2. Honorary members may attend meetings, but shall have no voting privileges, nor shall they pay dues.

Section 1. Election
a. Nominating Procedure
1. The Executive Committee shall compile a list of all active members eligible for election which will detail any previous experience as officers of the organization, year in school, intent or potential for overseas travel, and any other significant factors relevant to the election process.

2. Nominations will be made from the floor of the electoral meeting. All active members are eligible to nominate any other active member.

b. Qualifications of Officers
1. All active members of the organization shall be eligible to hold office in the organization.
c. Election Procedure
1. The election of officers shall be conducted by secret ballot.

2. A candidate, in order to be elected, must receive a majority of the votes of the entire active membership.

3. If three or more candidates are running for the same office and no winner emerges from the first balloting, all but the two highest candidates shall be dropped from the list, and another ballot shall be taken on these two candidates.

4. If there is a two-way tie for the second-highest number of votes in the above situation (3), there must be a run-off balloting to determine which candidate is to fill the second place position. The candidate is then balloted against the original holder of the highest number of votes, and the winner is determined.

5. In the event of a three-way tie (which must be resolved to determine a winner) anywhere in the election process, the "tournament system of pairings" shall be employed. Two of the three tied candidates are selected at random, and a ballot is taken on them. The winner of this ballot is then balloted against the third candidate, and the winner from the three-way tie is determined. This same system of pairings may be applied to a tie among four or more persons.

6. The Secretary shall silently count the ballots in the presence of the organization and secretly record the results. The President shall then recount the votes and compare the count with that of the Secretary. If the results do not agree, the two shall count together until they agree on the correct result.

7. The President shall immediately announce all winners.

8. The election shall be held within two weeks preceding the annual Theater Awards Banquet.

d. Term of Officers
1. The new officers shall take office immediately following their elections and shall serve until the completion of the following academic year. Powers of office are transferred at the close of the academic year.
Section 2. Procedure to Fill Vacancies
a. In the event of the resignation or the removal of any officer, the organization shall elect a successor by the procedures outlined in Article II, Section 1, subsection c of the Bylaws. The electee shall hold office for the duration of his/her predecessor’s absence or until the next regular election.
Section 3. Deposition of Officers
a. Should at any time, two-thirds of the Executive Committee feel that an officer is neglecting his/her duties or is not acting in the best interests of the organization, that officer may be suspended pending an investigation for deposition.

b. Hearings regarding the deposition will be conducted by the Faculty Advisor of the organization.

c. Following the hearing, the Advisor may choose to bring the matter to a vote of the membership of the Organization or the Department of theater faculty.

Section 1. Frequency
a. Regularly scheduled meetings shall be held as designated by the organization at the beginning of each semester. The organization shall meet at least once a month during each semester.

b. Special meetings may be called by the President.

Section 2. Quorum
a. Fifty-one percent of the active membership shall constitute a quorum to conduct business except for elections, the selection of Anthony Aston productions and the balloting for awards which all require the presence of two-thirds of the active membership. Prior notice should be given to all active members when a two-thirds quorum is required. No business may be transacted without the presence of a quorum.

b. Two-thirds of the Executive Committee shall constitute its quorum, necessary for the transaction of business.

c. Should the calculation of a fraction of the membership (involved anywhere in this Constitution) result in the fraction of a "person" one half or more of a "person" shall be counted as "one person" and less than one half of a person shall count as "no person."

Section 3. Parliamentary Authority
a. The parliamentary authority of the organization shall be Robert’s Rules of Order.

b. Should Robert’s Rules of Order be in conflict with this Constitution, the latter shall be upheld.

Section 1. Committee Structure
a. The Play Selection committee serves in an advisory capacity to the active voting membership of the Organization.

b. The voting members of the Play Selection Committee shall be those described in the Constitution under Article 5, Section 2, paragraph (c). 

c. Class representatives may be nominated by any member of the Organization, but only members of a specific class year may vote on representatives from that particular class.

d. Students who have expressed an interest in directing Anthony Aston Productions shall serve as non-voting members of the committee and shall be allowed to participate in meetings, but will have no vote in the committee.

e. Students who have proposed plays to be considered for production by the Organization shall be eligible for election to the committee. If students who have proposed plays are not elected, they shall be entitled to present their ideas to the committee, but they shall be allowed to discuss only the plays they have proposed.

Section 2. Voting Procedure
a. The voting members of the Play Selection Committee shall draft recommendations to be presented to the Organization for voting purposes. This list should include characteristics of the plays including, but not limited to, the technical and performance feasibility of the play, the quality of the play’s content, and an overall assessment of the potential for production. This list must be submitted one week before voting may occur.

b. Not less than one week following the presentation of the Committee’s recommendations, the Organization shall conduct voting to determine which plays to propose to the Theater faculty and staff.

Section 3. Directors
a. Any active member shall be eligible to direct an Anthony Aston Production.

b. Members may only direct one Anthony Aston production during their membership in the Organization. Members who seek alternate directing options are encouraged to contact the Chairperson of the Department of Theater directly.

c. After the Play Selection Committee has chosen its recommendations, directors will determine which plays they would prefer to direct and compile a list of preferences to be presented to the active membership for voting not less than one week before voting may take place.

d. The active membership shall vote on directors directly following the selection of plays. The voting shall be conducted by secret ballot and follow the guidelines set forth in Article II, Section 1, paragraph (c) of these bylaws.

Favorable votes from two-thirds of all the active members will be necessary to pass any amendments to the by-laws.

Respectfully Submitted,
Executive Committee

Donald R. Pocock, President
Kimberly A. Whatley, Vice-President
Aimee E. Mackovic, Secretary
Jenny R. Harrison, Treasurer
Darren L. Linvill, Historian
James V. Hilburn Jr., Historian
Approved,
Dr. Donald H. Wolfe, Theater Department Chairperson
Mr. J. E. R. Friedenberg, Faculty Advisor